South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1887-08-26
THE Willy RAT.
How the Little Nuisance May be
Killed or Driven Away.
A Number Of Methods for Their
Quick determination.


There arc hundreds Of thousands of
rats in Chicago, says the Tribune of that
city The little quadrupeds are to be
seen everywhere. And rs they cross the
sidewalk ut night in front of n pedestrian
he may kick mt them and as he rcgains
his equilibrium mentally inquire where
the nuisances come from. But it is the
housewife who is not so much concerned
about the origin Of the pests as she is in
their determination. They can be poi
soned; they can be trapped; they can
be frightened away; but to insure success
it must be borne IN mind that very
bright and sharp witted little adversary
is to be dealt with, and that you must
be sharper and brighter than he or he
will get the best of you. Poison is more
or less dangerous to others as well as
rats, and the results are not always salts
factory. Last spring Lawyer Mum of
this city found his house very seriously
plagued with these destructive rodents,
and spread for them one night
very enticing and appe-
tizing feast. They evidently partook
largely Of the goods provided for them,
and as consequence disappeared The
place were as if it had never known
rat. In day or two a report from the
kitchen reached the Colonels ears. even
In the midst of the boodlers' trials, that
gas-pipe was leaking somewhere. An
other day passed, and the smell became
worse, and, after two or three DAYS of
smells still more noisome. it was dis
covered that not gas but dead rats was
the horrid cause of the offense. Then.
after much tearing out of flooring and
walnscoting, small bank of thirty or
forty dead rats were found snugly en-
tombed in the walls of the kitchen. The
moral is that poison is good if you
can make arrangements with the
rats to find some other place to die in than
In the walls of the house. The best way
to get rid of rats is to make the house
too hot to hold them. They are migra-
tory In their habits and the whole colony
will leave in body if the proper means
are employed. A good plan is to tar
their holes and runways If one rat can
be caught and tarred all over and then
let run he will drive all the others away.
Rats cannot bear tar, for it sticks to
their fur and they cannot get it off
again. Another way is to catch two or
three and douse them well with turpen-
tine and let them go. They will scent
the runs with it and the suspicious in
habitants thereof will be off forthwith,
thinking there is trcachery about. When
the house is clear of them all the holes
and runways that can be found should
be closed or another colony will soon
come in and settle.
The most ingenious trap is made with
a fitting board fixed on tub or barrel.
The fitting part can be purchased at n
hardware store, and is so arranged that
it can be placed in the head of barrel.
For two or three nights it should be
baited and fastened so that il will not
tilt, until the rats gain confidence. Then
remove the fastening, and when they go,
as usual, to get the bait their weight
tits down the board and lets them into
the barrel of water below. In this way
nearly every rat in house may be
caught in a single night. Another way
is to provide large trap or box, in
which "A good store of what rats most
like-corn meal, cheese and such things
must be placed. Arrange the doors so
that the rats can run in and out with
IMMUNITY for two or three nights. In
that way every rat in the premises will
have visited it and been through it. AT
ter two or three nights set il so they can
get in but cannot get out, and in the
morning there will DC n trap full of them.
The ordinary steel trap, when proper
ly handled, is also efficacious i'm catching
one at a time. But all must be handled
very carefully or they will do no good.
III rat detects the least odor of man
about them he will avoid them as he
would dog or cat, and his sense of
smell is exceedingly acute. If the leas,
perspiratiou from a human hand touches
the trap, all the labor will be in vain.
Both the bait and trap should be handled
with gloves. They should not be put
obtrusivcly in the way, but rather hid
den under "a chair or table out of the
way. If sufficient pains be taken in the
matter, the rats will be caught; other
wise they will not, and they will only 90
at the pantry as before.